The Guardian view on Erdoğan’s bad night at the polls: local elections packing a national punch

Less than a year ago, Turkey’s main opposition parties were in a slough of despond.

Defying their predictions, the country’s authoritarian leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, comfortably won a third term in presidential elections held last spring.

At the same time, his Justice and Development party (AKP) emerged more powerful from a parliamentary poll, despite the economy tanking and dissatisfaction at the…

• The Guardian view on…